


The Phone Game

by Demon_Hades



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drinking, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, almost not really phone sex, fluff probably, self hate, telemarketer au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-08 18:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7768456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demon_Hades/pseuds/Demon_Hades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one wants to get a call from a telemarketer. No one wants to be one either; it is an extremely boring job. But when Tom phones a random number of someone who seems to be having a bad day, and just wants someone to talk to, things start to be rather interesting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hello

God he hated this job.

Tom never wanted an office job, he never wanted to be stuck in a cubicle, but here he was. He liked face to face interactions with people, not speaking robotically to people over the phone, to people who usually hung up immediately. Only sometimes he’d catch a few people, mostly little old ladies who just wanted someone to listen to their ramblings, and thus he’d proceed to tell them about great deals on some useless product no one wanted. 

Yeah, he was everyone’s favourite:, he a telemarketer. He knew himself how annoying those calls were, but hey, someone has to make those calls, it was how he made his living, even if he hated it.

Each day was the same; dialing some number that was randomly put on his list, he’d get about a sentence into his speech before he’d yelled at, sworn at, and promptly hung up on, and then he’d start over again. It was the most boring thing ever, _routine_ was boring, saying the same paragraph of text over and over was boring.

Not _everything_ was boring how ever, on very few occasions he’s have an interesting conversation with someone. One day he phoned a number of a lady who proceeded to tell him of her 19 cats and all of their names and their favourite kitty toys. Another day he called up a guy who pretended to be a phone sex operator, and who wanted Tom to call him “Kanra” while laughing like a lunatic.

So he has had some interesting days, but the days that work has been mind numbingly boring far outweigh the interesting days.

Today was one of the boring days so far, his coffee was too bitter and was starting to get cold. His eyes were starting to get sore from the computer screen in front of him, his back was stiff, and his voice was starting to get hoarse from speaking so much. Work was almost done though; he could maybe run out the clock if he manages to catch one person to talk to.

He was done his list for today, but he could always do more, he had other numbers for when he finished his main list for the day. The boss liked it when he did more, of course, “more calls meant more opportunities,” as he always said to his employees.

He was bored again, so he quietly mumbles “boop” as he plops his finger down on the extra piece of paper on his desk, picking a number and name at random. 

He dials the number, and taps his headphones as he waits.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

He sighs, and is expecting the call to go to voice mail, thinking that no one is home, or the person is busy in the shower or something, when the receiver is picked up, and an empty silence greets him. Great, its one of these people who just say nothing to toy with him, then hang up.

“Good evening,” Tom starts, trying to be professional. “I’m calling you today to tell you about some great deal-“

“Who are you?” The voice that speaks is quiet and cracks halfway through the sentence. There is a muffled puff of air from a tired sigh. “Why did you phone? How did you get this number?” The voice is quiet and shaky, almost as if… had this man been crying?

“I’m with the company-“

“I don’t care.” Cut off again, how rude. “You’re a telemarketer?”

Tom huffs, “yes, I’m sorry for bothering you.” He waits for the client to hang up, but he doesn’t. Both of them grow quiet, waiting for the other to say something. Tom was always told it was rude to hang up first, and that he shouldn’t really hang up on a customer either, even if this man was being rather rude to him begin with. Something about his voice sounded familiar, have they met before somewhere? It piqued his curiosity, he wanted to hear what the man was going to say.

“You aren’t bothering me.” The client said after a long silence, and Tom blinks actually a little surprised. He wasn’t really sure how to react to this.

“Then may I tell you about the deals my company offers?” Stick to the basics, that’s really all he could think of to do at the moment. 

“No,” the man says, his voice growing soft and almost sad. “You can talk to me, just not about that.”

“O-oh,” Tom quickly looks down at his paper, finding the phone number and looking at the name beside it. “Well then… Heiwajima-san?”

“Shizuo.” The man states.

“Okay then, Shizuo, what would you like to talk about?” He was almost done work, so he decided to just oblige the man. This could end up being one of those interesting days after all.

“Anything, just… something.”

Something was wrong, he could tell. This man was upset, he wanted someone to talk to, and Tom just happened to phone him. Okay, he can do that for a couple minutes before his shift ended, it couldn’t hurt.

“I know not a lot of people like telemarketers, though sometimes I phone some pretty interesting people. One guy picked up thinking I was his friend and proceeded to yell into the phone that he was drunk last night and when he woke up he had a little octopus in his pool and was too afraid of it to get it out.” Tom snickered, remember how panicked the guy had sounded, and how ridiculous the story was. How did that guy even _get_ an octopus? Just the thought of someone, completely drunk out of his mind, buying an octopus made him giggle.

There was a pause on the other end, then a small quiet chuckle, “no way.”

“I swear! I can’t make this stuff up,” Tom laughed. He really did want to make this stranger feel better, for some reason or another. It sounded like he really needed someone to talk to and cheer him up. 

They talked for a while, well, it was mostly Tom talking, telling Shizuo about the weird phone calls he’s had while working here, and Shizuo listened, adding a couple things here and there. Shizuo started to sound more alive and awake as they went on, which made Tom actually rather happy. He was glad he could make this stranger feel better, even if he didn’t know him or even if they would never meet in person. Tom didn’t notice how long they were talking until he happened to glance at the clock on his desk.

“Oh! Shizuo-san forgive me, but I have to be leaving.” He was ending the conversation as if it was a personal call, he figured it wasn’t really professional anymore anyway, he didn’t really speak about his product or ask Shizuo to think about buying it. Something told him Shizuo didn’t need or want it. Before he could stop himself he blurted, “I can phone again tomorrow if you’d like.” Crap, he really did need to get work done before that though, maybe if he phoned once he was done his list again it’d be okay.

The was a short pause as Shizuo thought, then he answered in a small, soft voice, “I’d really like that, um... I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s Tom. Tom Tanaka, and it was a pleasure to talk to you Shizuo-san, and I’ll call again tomorrow, I promise.” He couldn’t help but grin, something about this man was rather intriguing. He really did want to talk to him more, maybe help Shizuo feel better, since it sounded like he had a rough day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better for him, maybe he will even get more of a conversation out of him and get to know him better.

There was a short pause on Shizuo’s end, then the sound like a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Tom-san.”

It was rather strange; his voice _did_ sound somewhat familiar. They must have met somewhere before, like at a store or something, and neither of them realised. Maybe. He couldn't place his finger on it, but perhaps they had met before. For now, all he had was a voice, but that wasn't much to go on. 

“Goodbye, Shizuo, have a wonderful evening.” He said, and Shizuo made an affirmative noise before hanging up, leaving Tom with the _beep, beep,_ of the phone.

Tom sat back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. He technically did end up going over time, he was done work, but he didn’t really want to leave. He would have talked to Shizuo for hours, if he could have, if he was allowed to. Looking at his list, he was tempted to phone Shizuo’s number outside of work, but perhaps would that be pushing it? It’d be a bit awkward, making a personal call like that. He should wait, yeah. He’ll phone Shizuo tomorrow, only after his main list is finished though, work comes first.

For the first time in a very long time, Tom was actually excited about work the next day.


	2. Personal call

There had been a lot of mornings Tom didn’t want wake up for work. That wasn't exactly the case anymore, however.

For a couple of days now, he had been coming to work a bit earlier than usual, and he stalls for time until his shift starts. He gets all of this things organised; he gets his list of numbers, thoroughly checks his head set to make sure it’s working correctly, makes his cup of coffee perfect, and then gets comfortable in his chair and waits until the clock hits the hour.

Needless to say, his productivity has increased the past couple of days. He gets through his list rather quickly, and more people have actually become interested in the product. One lady said Tom sounded so kind and upbeat, how could she say no? It was a good product after all. Tom knew it wasn’t, their product was useless crap. But maybe speaking with Shizuo each day had improved his mood a bit, and thus he sounded more excited about the product, and it was easier to sell it. 

Each day he would finish his list, and each day he would reward himself with talking to Shizuo. Every day Shizuo would speak a little more, tell more about himself and his day, getting a little more confident. He would laugh, actually genuinely laugh, and even though the phone distorted the sound slightly, it was still an amazing and it made his heart flutter every time he coaxed it out of Shizuo. He really did enjoy hearing Shizuo laugh, he was glad he could help him feel better too.

He really wished he could hear him laugh in person. He didn’t want to seem too pushy though, or maybe even like a… creeper. Shizuo didn’t know him, they didn’t know each other, now-a-days you couldn’t really trust strangers, so he didn’t want to worry him. 

Which is why he hadn't asked him to meet in person yet.

He didn’t want to pressure him, especially if Shizuo was in a bad place right now. He sounded better, but something was obviously bothering him, but he didn’t want to ask him what was wrong either. They didn’t really know each other well, he wasn’t sure if Shizuo even felt that comfortable with him to tell him these things, he was just some random stranger on the phone after all.

“Hey, Tom-san?” Shizuo said one day, after a long silence between the two.

Tom blinks and shakes his head, he was lost in his thoughts, Shizuo must have noticed. “Yeah? Sorry Shizuo, what were you saying?” It was close to the end of his shift again, but he really didn’t want to finish. End of a work day meant the end of speaking with Shizuo.

“It’s just… you drifted off a bit, You okay?” Shizuo sounded genuinely concerned, his tone was soft and caring. The gentleness really suited him, it was kind of cute.

“No, oh, I mean yeah! Sorry, I just, I’m okay, just a little distracted.”

“Oh,” Shizuo sounded a little relieved. “You’re at work right?” There was a pause, and Shizuo’s tone changed to a guilty apology, “are you busy?”

“No, no! Shizuo don’t worry about it, I’m finished all my work for today, it’s okay.”

“Then, maybe… instead of just talking at work, we… can speak other times? I mean… if you want to.” He sounded a little hesitant, but hopeful. 

“Are you asking me for my personal number?” Tom says with a small smirk, gently teasing him.

“I-I mean, only if you want, if you don’t want to it’s okay, but it would be nice to talk to you more often.” He could hear how flustered Shizuo was, obviously embarrassed for asking. “I just thought… we only speak for a short time, at the same time everyday… I was wondering if we could… just talk… more. Just whenever we want to, you know?” He was actually asking for his personal number?

“Of course Shizuo,” Tom replied, smiling into the receiver. No way! Shizuo actually was asking for his number? That meant they could talk whenever they wanted right? They could send texts, or maybe even pictures sometimes. “I’d be very happy to. Do you have a pen and some paper? I’ll give you my cell number.”

* * *

Tom never really used to use his cell phone much before. Being on the phone for hours for his job made him sick of the thing, so he never used it except on the rare occasion. _Now_ however, he constantly had his face in his phone.

When he gave Shizuo his number, he received a text simply saying “Hello, Tom-san? This is Shizuo” so he added the number in his contacts. Ever since then they phoned each other whenever they had the chance, and if they were busy or couldn’t speak they’d text each other. Tom always woke up and sent Shizuo a text, telling him good morning, and to have a nice day today, and he’d tell Shizuo goodnight at the end of the day. Thus every day they repeated this in a cycle.

Shizuo started to open up more, telling Tom more about himself. Apparently he was having some trouble paying rent, he often just had instant noodles for his meals. It seemed as though he didn’t have a lot of friends either, he liked to distance himself from others by choice. He had a brother, but he was always busy with work, they didn’t talk as much as they used to anymore. Tom was really all he had, and he was really glad he was there to talk with him. He admitted he was in a bad place when Tom first called, but just talking to someone made it better, and if Tom could be that someone, then he was happy too.

It was weird, Tom felt so close to him, yet he didn’t know what he looked like. He loved the sound of his voice, it made him long for hearing it in person.

It was weird; he did still feel like Shizuo sounded familiar, they must have met somewhere before. Shizuo never mentioned if Tom sounded familiar however, so he didn’t want to say anything. Apparently Shizuo did in fact live in Ikebukuro, where Tom was, so it was possible they could have met and not even have realised it. They gave rough descriptions of each other (their hair colour, the fact Tom had glasses, etc) and they said they would keep an eye out for each other, but they never saw each other.

He didn’t know what Shizuo looked like, only an image in his head, he couldn’t put a face to the name and voice, but he still craved Shizuo every second of every waking day. 

He couldn’t help but wonder, was it actually possible to fall in love with a voice?


	3. Late nights

Work has gotten boring again. Now that Tom could call and message Shizuo whenever they wanted, Tom didn’t have to work as hard to complete his list in order to talk to him. Not that he didn’t slack off, he would still finish his work, and then call Shizuo after. However, the same routine had gotten boring again, Shizuo was the only highlight of his day.

Usually, Tom worked the 9 to 5 shift, and that is what he was comfortable with. The past couple of shifts, however, they put him on the evening to late night shift. His “productivity has been so good lately, it’d be nice to have him on the night shift to help bring up their numbers.” It wasn’t like he could say no (he just wasn’t that kind of person) so he had been stuck working late nights. He hated this shift since the later in the day the angrier the customers seem to be, especially if they were trying to sleep. He didn’t blame them obviously, but did they really have to get so angry? This was just his job, a way to make money. Don't shoot the messenger. 

Other than the obvious grumpy people, he hated this shift because he felt bad about calling Shizuo. Sure, they still talked constantly before Tom would head off to work, and Shizuo always says its okay for him to call after, but Tom still felt guilty. It was late, and Shizuo should be in bed, especially if he’s been in a bad place lately. Even though he felt bad about it, he’d feel worse if he _didn’t_ actually call Shizuo. Whenever he did Shizuo’s voice always was hoarse and quiet, obviously laced with exhaustion, as if he was tired but always stayed up, waiting for Tom to call him.

It warmed his heart a little, knowing that Shizuo wanted to hear his voice just as much as he wanted to hear his.

It was one of these nights where he had to work late, and everything seemed normal. He completed his list, and maybe he was a little groggy, but he always kept his promise. He double checked to make sure his list was done, before calling Shizuo. It was a couple rings in, and no answer. He thought maybe Shizuo had fallen asleep, and he was about to hang up and try again in a couple minutes, but then he picked up.

There was a silence, as he expected Shizuo to say hello, or something, but there was nothing. Tom ends up in an awkward silence as he waits, a little unsure. Maybe something was wrong again? Did Shizuo not want to talk?

“T-Tom,” Shizuo suddenly squeaked, his voice cracking from a whimper.

Tom froze. He’s never heard Shizuo so… broken up. The first time he called he didn’t sound this bad, something must have happened.

“Hey, Shizuo,” he said, speaking softly. “You okay?” 

“I missed you,” Shizuo mumbles with a slight slur. Was he drunk?

“I’m right here Shizuo, I’m here now.”

“You sound so good,” Shizuo croons, purring into the receiver. 

Tom’s face goes instantly red. Shizuo’s voice changed, it wasn’t as hurt, he didn’t sound as broken. His voice became incredibly… lustful. 

“Sh-Shizuo, what are you-“

“I want to see you. I want… I want you,” Shizuo whispers. Yeah, he was obviously drunk. Tom went to a bar sometimes, but he never gets as drunk as this, nor does he really know how to handle people when they get like this. Was Shizuo actually such a clingy drunk? He wondered what happened to make Shizuo drink, something must have upset him, as far as he knew Shizuo didn’t drink often, definitely not enough to get drunk. He told him once that he would sometimes go to a bar, but that he didn’t like to drink often because he was afraid of being an angry drunk. Which is why this was so surprising; the fact that Shizuo was indeed drunk, along with the fact that he was not an angry drunk as Shizuo feared, but a rather… horny one.

“Shizuo, its late, shouldn’t you be asleep?” Tom said, trying to avoid the delicate situation of meeting, especially meeting when Shizuo was drunk and horny.

There was the sound of shifting on the other end, and Tom found himself holding his breath as he waited for Shizuo to say something. All this was a little hard to take in; Shizuo _wanted_ him? As in… sexually? Guess that answered the question of if Shizuo was interested in men or not. Not that Tom could complain really, he wanted to meet Shizuo too, he was pretty sure he was in love with this faceless person that has completely consumed his every waking moment.

What he didn’t want was to someone take advantage of Shizuo while he was drunk and probably rather upset about something. He was worried that Shizuo didn’t actually want this, that he was just sad and lonely and Tom was all he had. _Did_ Shizuo actually want him?

“Tom,” Shizuo whimpers again, “please.” His voice changed again, becoming so broken, a ghost of sound that dissipated into the speaker. “I want you.”

With a sigh, Tom decided Shizuo won’t give this up so easily. What was the harm in playing along? He’s never really done anything like this before, but it was Shizuo, and there were so many different emotions he could hear in his voice, he really wanted to make Shizuo feel better. That was the reason, totally not for any other reason. Of course not.

“How do you want me, Shizuo?” Tom says tentatively. He was still a little embarrassed about this, actually playing along. Hopefully Shizuo was drunk enough to not notice the nervousness in his voice.

“I really want to feel you, all of you, please,” Shizuo says huskily, and Tom completely freezes. “Take me, do anything you want to me.”

_Holy shit._

“Wh-what?” Was all he could say, his mind going blank. He really didn’t expect Shizuo to be so… forward.

“Please Tom, I want you to fuck m-“

“Shizuo!” Tom’s face explodes with red as his voice cracks, and he looks around his cubical, paranoid someone might hear this. “I’m still at work!”

There was a pause on the other end, it would had been complete silence except for the small disappointed whimpers coming from Shizuo. Oh crap, did he actually hurt his feelings? Did he say that too harshly?

“What… when do you get off work?” Shizuo asked, almost with a pout. 

“I- I um…” this was unbelievable. The things Shizuo was saying, that he was _confessing_! Did he really feel that way? 

Why was this making Tom feel so… heated, as well?

Trying to ignore the growing, awkward tension in his pants, he glances to the clock. He then speaks quietly to his headset, making sure none of his co-workers are around to hear. “I’m off in about fifteen minutes.”

“Hmm… good,” Shizuo mumbles, a long silence growing between them again. God this was awkward, with Shizuo being so _embarrassingly aroused,_ and himself being slightly turned on by Shizuo’s suddenly confession of _wanting_ him?

Shizuo did always have a way to twist and turn Tom’s world upside down. Just when he thought he was going to have a _normal_ day Shizuo threw something new at him. Not that he minded, he genuinely loved the way Shizuo was, he would never want him to change, he liked having his boring routine interrupted, his life was boring. This, however, was a little hard to swallow, he really wasn’t sure what to think about all this. He was just struggling to come to terms with the fact he might be in love with this faceless voice that called itself Shizuo, then suddenly he confesses he… _wants_ Tom to do such… intimate things. 

Why was the world doing this to him?

He can’t stop himself from making some weird kind of pathetic whimper, which seems to get Shizuo’s attention again.

“You’ll phone me when you’re off work right?” Shizuo suddenly says, hopeful.

“Of course,” Tom promised. Hmm, he technically was done his list, he might be able to get them to let him off work early. His productivity has increased lately; they must like that right? Shouldn’t that be enough to let him off fifteen minutes early? “I’ll call you back soon okay? I need to talk to people.”

“What?” Shizuo whines, and Tom could practically imagine Shizuo’s pouting face (not that he knew what it looked like exactly). “Who? Someone else? Does Tom have a girlfriend?”

Tom just snorts and shakes his head, “no, Shizuo, I assure you. I was just going to talk to my supervisors, okay? I’m going to see if I can leave early.”

There was a small, excited gasp from the other line, “really?” Shizuo says gleefully.

Tom couldn’t help but laugh at that; Shizuo sounded so cute. “Really, but I have to hang up first, okay?”

“Mmkay,” Shizuo hums happily, seemingly content with the answer for now, “I’ll talk to you soon.”

He hangs up then, and Tom is left shaking his head in disbelief. Shizuo has never acted like that since they started talking with each other. Part of him was slightly worried for Shizuo, he wanted to talk with him normally, figure out what was wrong. Another part of him was maybe a little turned on by him; the sound of his voice, the lust deepening the tone. He felt a twitch in his pants at the thought about it, and he shut his eyes, trying to will away the feelings. He did _not_ need a boner at work. He was almost done, if he could just keep a hold of himself for fifteen minutes.

…

Maybe “a hold of himself” wasn’t the best phrase to use right now. Maybe he shouldn’t actually talk to his supervisor at the moment. Shizuo can wait a couple minutes.

* * *

In the end he didn’t get off work early, and he felt a little guilty since he had told Shizuo that he would. Hopefully Shizuo just thought that the supervisors didn’t let him, which isn’t too far of a stretch. 

That being said, those fifteen minutes where hell.

He spent the entire time trying to will away his boner. He wasn’t a pubescence teenager after all! Staring at the clock as if it personally offended him didn’t exactly help, it took a while for him to be able to think of something other than his pants. But by the end of the fifteen minutes he managed to calm himself down enough to stand without it being awkward. The taxi ride home was mostly spent in a silent daze as he tried to think of what to say to Shizuo.

Was he actually going to do this? Play along with Shizuo’s… well… would this be considered phone sex? “What are you wearing?” No, no, way too corny, too cliché. “Guess what I’m doing right now.” He couldn’t deny he was a little interested in this, but it was so embarrassing! This was so lewd! How could he be going along with this! Well, he maybe did want it too, he definitely felt something towards Shizuo, but _this_? Looking down at his phone he had to wonder; what is this that’s blooming between he and Shizuo.

He didn’t even notice the taxi stopped at his house until the driver turns to him and basically yells “sir” to get his attention. Tom jumps startled and looks at the driver, then shakes his head to clear his thoughts and then throws some bills at the man, mumbling to keep the change, before he stumbles out of the cab.

He hadn’t phone Shizuo yet, hopefully he hasn’t fallen asleep. Or hopefully he did. He was drunk, and should probably rest, but Tom also wanted to talk with him. _Not_ for the reason Shizuo wants, totally not, but because he knew Shizuo was upset, and he wanted to make him feel better. Not because he maybe wanted to continue their sort-of-not-really phone sex.

He was at his door to his apartment when he decided to finally phone Shizuo. Fumbling with one hand to find his keys and unlock the door, he waited nervously for Shizuo to answer.

_Ring. Ring. Ring_

Huh. He the phone went unanswered for a couple rings, and he thought that maybe Shizuo had fallen asleep. He was about to hang up, but as he moved his phone away from his face Shizuo picks up.

The other line would have been completely silent, save for the quiet sounds of sniffling and choked back sobs.

Tom instantly freezes.

Was Shizuo… crying?

“Shizuo?” He says tentatively. He manages to unlock his door and step inside his apartment, setting all his things down before sitting on his couch. “Hey, I’m here now, what’s wrong?”

Shizuo lets go of a small sob, and it completely shatters Tom’s heart. “Why am I like this?” He says between broken whimpers. 

“What? Shizuo,” he says softly, “what do you mean? You’re wonderful, you-”

“No! I’m not!” He cuts him off sharply, then pauses, “I’m so sorry Tom! I didn’t mean to snap… ugh! This is what I mean! Why am I like this?”

“Shizuo…” he really didn’t know what to say. He wanted to help him, make him feel better. Was this the reason why Shizuo had been drinking? He’s told Tom before that he didn’t exactly like himself, he didn’t realise it was so bad though. “Shizuo, you’re a wonderful human, I’ve only known you a short time, and I don’t even know what you look like, but I can tell you’re a good person. You care so much, and you always listen to my ramblings about my work. I really enjoy talking to you.”

For a long while there is no response, but Tom can hear the quiet weeping still spilling from the other line. “Why?” Shizuo says after a heart wrenching sob. “Why would you want to talk to me? I’m a monster.”

“A monster?” Tom asks in disbelief, “how could you think that? You-“

“I got into a fight again today. I sent three people to the hospital.”

“What?” He blurts, before he can stop himself. Shizuo sent people to the hospital? He injured them that badly? Wait, _three_ people? In a fight? Did they gang up on him?! “Are you okay?” He says, worried about his friend.

Shizuo seems confused about Tom’s concern, “yeah… I am, but… those thugs…”

“Shizuo they were thugs?! Then it was just self defence! You were alone right? Then you did it to protect yourself,” he assured him. It was a little impressive, that Shizuo took down three men by himself. He was glad he was okay; things could have gone a lot worse with three on one. Shizuo could have gotten seriously injured! “I’m glad you’re safe, Shizuo.” He says, trying to sound genuinely caring, because he did care. He’s come to love this faceless voice in his phone, hearing him so heartbroken makes his own heart ache. He wanted to hear him laugh again, he hated hearing this wonderful man weep, it didn’t fit him. He wanted to sit him down and wrap a blanket around him. He wanted to _see_ him smile.

“Hey, Shizuo,” he says, “why don’t we set up a date when we can meet. In person.”

“Wh-what?” Shizuo croaks in disbelief, “you want to?”

“I do,” Tom exclaims cheerfully. “It’s too late tonight though, I want you to get some sleep, but maybe tomorrow? Or the day after? We can set a date and time it works for both of us, and we’ll decide on a place, and we’ll meet, okay?”

Shizuo sniffs, staying silent for a while, but once he replies he sounds a little happier, “okay.” It’s all he says, but its enough. 

“Okay, Shizuo,” Tom whispers. “I’ll stay on the line with you, and we can continue to talk, but I want you to try to get some rest.”

Shizuo slightly whines, like a child that didn't want to go to bed. “You’ll still talk to me?” 

“Yeah, I will. I promise, I won’t leave you.”

They were both tired; Tom was exhausted from work, but Shizuo was probably a lot worse. The discoveries of tonight were overwhelming, too much to think about. Shizuo’s confessions, his drinking and his fight, Tom’s struggle with his own feelings, all of it was a lot for one night. Shizuo’s head would be clearer in the morning, but Tom didn’t want to just leave him, especially when he was like this. He started to tell him more stories about his work. He was running out of the interesting stories, but maybe the boring ones would help Shizuo fall asleep. 

Shizuo never said anything the whole time, but Tom could hear him hum in response between sniffles. Eventually he heard Shizuo’s breath relax to a steady rhythm, and he knew he must have fallen asleep, but Tom still stayed, talking on the phone to the sleeping man.

He didn’t hang up for another hour after Shizuo had fallen asleep. He smiled softly, knowing that he was sleeping somewhere, far away from him in a different apartment. Far way, but so close, thanks to the small rectangle phone in his hands. 

“Technology is great,” he whispered to Shizuo, “the distance between us is unknown, too far, but technology still allows me to talk to you. It… still allows me to tell you… that I love you.”

There was no response, he knew there wouldn’t be, but hopefully, through the cloud of sleep, Shizuo heard his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise that I have not given up on this. The updates may take a while, but it will be finished. Also, you may have noticed I upped the rating a bit; this is pretty much the closest thing to smut I've written, and its not even that bad.


	4. Your call may be recorded

A dull buzzing close to his head shook him from his slumber.

Tom slightly mumbled to himself as he slowly sat up, every muscle and joint cracking in defiance as he stretched his sore body. He had slumped over on the couch, still in the same place from last night, but having fallen asleep in the most uncomfortable position imaginable. It took a moment for the faint thrumming to register in his brain. His phone was vibrating; someone was calling.

With a gasp, he quickly answered it. Shizuo must be calling about last night. Wonder how much he remembered. “Hey, Shizuo, how are—“

“Tanaka-san.” Tom was interrupted by a stern voice. Oh. _Oh no._

His boss.

“G-good morning, sir, how are you doing?”

“We need to speak. Come to my office in an hour.” The way he said it left no room for argument.

Defeated, Tom slouched and hung his head. “Yes sir,” he said, and waited until his boss hung up before he ended the call. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back on the couch. What did he do this time?

His phone suddenly vibrated in his hand again, and he looked at the device with wary concern. Wait, his boss wouldn't text him, right? He sat up straighter, and looked down at his phone.

Shizuo messaged.

Tom instantly perked up, unlocking his phone eagerly.

_[ thank you for last night ]_

It was a simple message, maybe Shizuo was a little shy or embarrassed about last night, but just seeing that he made him feel better made Tom’s heart soar. He answered immediately.

_ < I hope you're feeling better today Shizuo :) > _

Tom stood up and stretched his aching muscles. Dammit, he supposed he should probably get ready and go see his boss. What time was it anyway? He glanced at the clock on his phone. It was almost noon! God, he overslept! Thankfully he worked evenings now, at least he wouldn't be late for his shift. If he even still had his job after this meeting. Hopefully at least.

He trudged his way to the bathroom, and started to run water for a shower. He dipped a hand under the spray to check the temperature, before switching to the shower head.

The buzzing, however, distracted him again. He flicked the water off his hand then tried to dry it on a towel quickly before unlocking his phone again.

_[ sorry you had to put up with that… ]_  
  
_[ I appreciate it though ]_

Tom grinned at his phone. Shizuo really was such a sweetheart; he really didn't need to thank him.

_ < That's what friends are for right? > _

He paused a moment to remove his shirt before sending another quick text, remembering their conversation last night.

_ < Hey, did you maybe want to set a up meeting? It'd be nice to get to see you finally. > _

Tom stepped into his shower, hopefully giving Shizuo and himself some time to think.

A million things were running through his head. The prospect of finally meeting Shizuo made him so excited, giddy even. The thought of this sudden meeting with his boss was terrifying however, and it was slightly snuffing the ecstatic butterflies that fluttered in his stomach. What did he do to upset the man? He sounded upset, but maybe this was a good thing though? A raise? No way, he wasn't that lucky. Maybe he did do something to piss off his boss. He groaned, and pressed his head against the tiles of the shower. He was nervous, for so many reasons, and words and thoughts swirled around like dust floating through his mind.

The shower water beginning to turn lukewarm instead of the toasty heat it had started as, which was his cue to get out, albeit a little reluctantly. He shut off the water, and stepped out, grabbing a towel and quickly drying the dripping strands of hair before wrapping it around his waist. He grabbed his phone and left to get changed. He expected there to be a new message, but even just seeing the little icon made him feel a little better.

_[ I would love to but I have to work this evening... which is gonna suck with a hangover ]_

Tom snorted. So, his suspicions were right; Shizuo did in fact drink, and he did actually get drunk last night.

_< I know the feeling. Just drink lots of water and try not to work yourself too hard. I hope you feel better soon, and maybe we can set up a meeting for another day. I truly do want to see you.  > _

He was genuinely concerned for his friend, and he wanted to make him feel better, but the own dread was beginning to knot in his stomach. He didn't mention to Shizuo that he had a meeting with his boss, who knew how long it would take anyway, or if it was actually something bad, but all in all today probably wouldn't be a good day to finally meet. He had to work too after all, so today, sadly, was not the day.

_[ I want to see you too… ]_

He could practically hear Shizuo’s voice, the soft resignation, the somewhat gruff yet still gentle sound. Tom yearned to hear it. He knew it would sound small, almost afraid, or ashamed. It was Shizuo though, the sharp lines of text on his phone did nothing to compliment the honey sweet sound of his voice. He wanted to hear him, but knew neither of them were in the right state of mind.

_ < Some other day, okay? That's a promise. > _

_[ okay. that's a promise ]  
_[ :) ]__

__

__

The little smiley face strangely made his heart flutter. It was kinda cute. Shizuo wasn’t exactly the best with words, so seeing this as an attempt to convey his feelings was actually rather adorable.

A little bubbly laugh escaped his lips as he read over their messages again. It was silly; he was all giddy like some school kid who sent a message to their crush. Which, he supposed, wasn’t exactly too far from the truth.

_< I can’t wait.  > _

The thought of meeting Shizuo raised his spirits a little bit, he was still worried about speaking with his boss, but at least he had something good to look forward to if this did in fact end badly.

No, he couldn’t think like that, it would only freak himself out more, make him more nervous, he couldn’t think like that. It was probably just a meeting to talk about his numbers, or something like that, nothing to worry about. Still though, as he left his apartment he couldn't quite bury the feeling of dread.

He took the long way to work, biding his time and stalling the meeting, not too long to be late though. He ended up taking the elevator to his boss’ office, arriving just a couple minutes before their arranged time. Better early than sorry. He waited patiently in the hall, tapping his foot and gripping as his pants as he attempted to calm his nerves. Nothing to worry about, this will take ten minutes and it'll be over. Nothing to worry about.

The office door opened and a gorgeous blonde woman stepped out. Tom had only seen her a few times, but every time she was just radiant. He would hear the others whisper about her, usually inappropriate things about her figure, but he had learned she was the boss’ new assistant, Vorona. Her icy eyes locked onto Tom, and in a beautiful Russian accident she addressed him.

“Tom Tanaka?”

He nodded and stood up. “Yes,” he replied robotically.

Content with the answer she nodded in return, and calmly lead him through the door she had just come through. “Tanaka-san has arrived,” and with a quick bow she disappeared out of the room.

Tom stood frozen in place as he waited for his boss to say something. He was a big man, large in size as he was in ego. He wasn't exactly the nicest man around, but he had a reputation for being a good businessman. Intimidating, however, would be the perfect word to describe him.

“Won't you sit?” He said, commanded, gesturing to the chair across from him.

Tom obeyed, and plopped himself in the leather seat, his back straight as he attempted to at least look him in the face, even if he couldn't keep eye contact for too long.

“You've made a real improvement these past couple weeks, haven't you?” His boss looked down at his desk where a pile of paper lay neatly.

A little bit of the weight of Tom’s shoulders lifted. Maybe this actually was to give him a raise, or promotion. Something about his boss’ tone though made him uncertain however. It couldn't be that easy. “Yes, I gave it my best. I've just been trying a new tactic, a new way to speak and talk to them.”

“A new way to speak with them huh?” His boss looked up at him from the papers, his beady eyes squinting at him, trying to peer through him. “I can see that, yes. Tell me, Tanaka, you remember that some of our calls may be recorded?”

Tom’s heart seized. His skin tingled and he got cold shivers. _Oh no._

His eyes wide, he nodded dumbly. “Yes, I recall that.” That had always been in their policy, to improve future calls with feedback, something like that.

“So, tell me then,” his boss leaned forward, grabbing a sheet of the paper in front of him, and cleared his throat. _”’I want you.’”_ He looked up at Tom, raising an eyebrow in question, accusing. _”‘How do you want me Shizuo?’ ‘I want to feel you.’_ ”

Tom’s face heated up, bursting into a bright red. He was reading his and Shizuo’s conversation from last night. No, no, no no _no_ , this can't be happening. He felt sick, the world spinning around him. They heard all of it? How much does he know? Has he heard all their conversations?

“Sir I—”

“It seems you have made quite a few calls to this same number recently.” His boss left no room for argument, no room to defend himself or explain his actions. This was a sentencing, not a hearing.

He knew what was coming, but he had to try, he couldn’t just roll over and accept this, he had to explain. He needed this job. “Well sir I finished all the other numbers on my list so I started with the extra list and I—”

“No.” His boss said sternly, making Tom slightly flinch. “You are using company time to make personal calls, playing around while you’re on the clock and being paid for it, and these kinds of lewd and vile calls at that?! We will not tolerate this kind of behavior. This was taken too far.” Tom cringed as he braced for the next sentence, “I’m sorry Tanaka but we have to let you go.”

That was it. Everything came crashing down and crushed Tom, making his chest sore as he suffocated under the words. Fired. No, this can’t be happening. “Sir I…” his voice cracked in defeat.

“No. You’re excused, go clear your desk.” That was final, there was nothing he could do.

Fired.

“Yes sir.” Tom hung his head as he sluggishly got up, dragging his feet as he left the office. He wished he was braver, more forward, and charismatic enough to get out of this, to defend himself and stand up, but he just couldn’t find the strength to do it. His body was numb, hollow, he barely even registered Vorona speaking to him as he left. What did she even say to him? Condolences? Was she rubbing it in? Making fun of him for getting fired. What was he supposed to do for rent now? For food? It took him forever to find this job in the first place, where would he go now?

He stumbled into the elevator, pressing a button he hoped was the floor he needed, then pressed his forehead against the cool metal of the wall. He shut his eyes, then slammed his head against the wall. _”Shit.”_ What now?

He didn’t regret his actions though, he wasn’t mad at Shizuo, or in himself for responding in the way he did, or phoning Shizuo every day. He wouldn’t change any of it. He had met Shizuo, and fell in love with his voice, and it was all thanks to this job and that fateful choice to randomly pick Shizuo’s number. He wouldn’t change what he did, but he should have remembered his calls could be recorded. Was this considered harassment? Talking to customers this way? He groaned. What now?

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. He stood a moment to collect himself, before leaving the safety of the elevator. He managed to find an empty file box, and went to his small little cubicle. He hastily packed his couple of things scattered around his desk, trying to make quick work before one of his coworkers saw and asked what he was doing. _Oh got a promotion? Moving up in the office? You get fired?_ He shivered. Thankfully no one noticed him, he didn’t exactly have much friends he talked to, so no one paid much mind to him. At least he wouldn’t miss them, and they wouldn’t miss him.

This could be a new start, couldn’t it? A chance to not be stuck in a cubicle, to not be stuck talking to assholes who didn’t want to be phoned.

He could have more time to Shizuo.

He took a breath, and lifted his shoulders as he left the building with his small box. This could be the start of something new, this could be for the better. He was a little relieved he wouldn’t need to come back to this same boring job.

Rent and food would be nice though.

He groaned again, taking his walk of shame home. It was bittersweet; he could get a new job, yes, but who knew how long it’d take. Plus, it was not like he could use his boss as a reference in his resume now.

He tried to make it home as fast as he could, avoiding the gazes of others as he passed. They all knew, they must, he just got fired, and everyone on the street could see. That’s how it felt anyway. The disappointment in himself was starting to set in a little more. This was his fault, he deserved this honestly. He should have known this would happen.

Finally making it to his apartment, he juggled with the box and his keys to open the door, then plopped the box on his kitchen table before collapsing on his couch. He stayed a moment, before leaning forward and burying his face in his hands, defeated and kicked to the curb. He kept asking himself; now what? What was the next step? Making a new resume, going to businesses, going for interviews, getting a new job, training in the new job. Was this all he had to look forward to in his life?

God, he needed a drink. He didn’t go to bars very often, only on special occasions or celebrations. This was definitely an occasion that could use a could rounds. It was still just the early afternoon, almost 3, but going this early at least there wouldn’t be too much people there, right?

At least that’s what he told himself.

He ended up mulling around the house for a couple hours, stewing in his own thoughts and regrets as he mostly just wandered aimlessly to his fridge and back a couple times without ever deciding on something to eat. He could get something to get at a bar, right? There would be food there, at least probably chicken wings or something really bad for you, the good stuff to eat after getting fired, just what he needed. He grabbed his coat and wallet and left his apartment before he could talk himself out of a drink.

His fingers itched to phone Shizuo, but he didn’t want to dump all this on him, and he had work this evening anyway, the poor man was already hungover and probably starting to get a headache if he didn’t already have one. Despite the already growing guilt and anxiety growing in his stomach, he sent Shizuo a message. Just something small, not a big deal.

_[ Hope work is going okay today. ]_

Oh god, he honestly hoped he wouldn't drink so much tonight that he’d end up becoming as “confident” as Shizuo had the night before. Confessing his feelings for Shizuo over the phone really was not the way he wanted to go about it, if he ever did manage to confess.

That sent a little shiver down his spine. What if he did confess? Would he ever? When would be a good time? Did Shizuo actually like him back? The conversation last night would point to that conclusion, but it was always hard when alcohol was involved.

Which was why he thought going to the bar would be a _perfect_ idea. He had to promise himself he wouldn’t drink too much, not enough to get so smashed that he confessed his undying love for Shizuo.

He could feel the growing tension in his shoulders, the realisation of the consequences of being fired settling in his bones. It hurt. He wanted to drown his sorrows, just for today, let it sink in, and then maybe try to figure out his plans tomorrow. Today, however, this evening was for forgetting all that.

The bar he found was a small little one not too far from his apartment, but far enough that hopefully he wouldn’t see anyone he knew. He had come here a few times before, he liked it because he knew it was more for businessmen, more so than young adults and party goers looking for somewhere to dance. Good thing, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about someone drunkenly asking him to dance. He couldn’t dance to save his life. Inside was dimly lit, with a soft glowing blue of the bar displaying fine vodkas and wines, and a tv in the corner quietly playing the news.

He took a seat at the edge of the bar, taking a moment to eye over a cocktail menu before calling over the bartender. He was a surprisingly attractive man, tall, with blond hair, wearing a pair of tinted sunglasses, even though they were inside. He had seen him working here before, but always with another co-worker, he had never really taken Tom’s order before, but they had exchanged small talk about weather once or twice. Today it seemed he was on his own.

He had never really seen him face to face before, he hadn’t ever noticed the man’s subtle beauty. Radiating in the soft blue, illuminated by the bar. He held in his hands a cloth and a glass cup, cleaning it until it sparkled like the light brown eyes that gazed over the rim of his shades.

Tom’s face heated up. God, he really did need to watch how many drinks he had tonight, otherwise he knew he would end up flirting with this probably straight bartender.

“What can I get you?” He asked, seemingly eying Tom over.

Tom’s heart halted, for the second time today. This time, however, it was for another reason.

That voice.

No, it couldn’t be.

Honey sweet, like liquid pouring over his lungs, seizing the air and filling his chest with something painfully excited.

“Shizuo?” He asked, tentatively, almost hesitant, in case his suspicions were wrong.

The bartender froze, seemingly taken over with the same lightning shock of realisation. He dropped the cocktail glass, and it shattered against the tiles of the floor.

“Tom?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long, but I did promise I'd finish it.
> 
> It's been hard lately to keep focuses, and it's been a little rough these past few months, plus I accidentally deleted half this chapter so I had to start over again -.-
> 
> Hopefully it was worth the wait though


End file.
